His precious little secret
by Sweet Executioner
Summary: Captain Christopher Pike has a little secret: he’s dating his best friend's 25 years old daughter. // PikexOC, slight AU
1. His precious little secret

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**His ****precious, little secret**

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Captain Christopher Pike was waiting. Not for the recruits, nor the fellow officers to talk about the cadets and the issues of the Starfleet Academy. He was waiting for someone who was very special to him. Looking around, he saw a few kids in the park, playing with each other or their dogs. He smiled, but that smiled faded as soon as he glanced at his watch.

"Hello," he heard a sing-song tone from behind. He turned around and saw a young woman smiling sweetly at him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to keep you waiting for half an hour, but I had to do some research for the upcoming anthropology exam," she told him quickly, throwing her arms around his neck.

"I was late as well," he replied with a smile as he put his hands on her back.

Raising an eyebrow, Denise gave him a serious look. "Oh, then I won't apologize."

"I didn't say you don't have to," he said with a short laugh, pulling her closer. She knew what he wanted as an apology so, without a moment of hesitation, she kissed him then a few seconds later she pulled back with a smile on her face.

"Funny," was all she said, taking a step back. "Now where?" she asked after he put a hand behind her back and started to lead her toward the entrance of the park.

"I'll meet your father in a bar an hour from now, so we should go there," he said, earning a questioning 'hm?' sound from her. "This way we can spend more time together," he explained and she nodded. He loved her, and all her actions told him she felt the same way. After a quite long time, he was happy again, even though a part of him still couldn't get used to the face they were together.

Denise was really young. Or, we could say, he was way older than her. She studied anthropology at the Starfleet Academy. And there was something else that had bothered him in the early stages of their relationship: she was Captain Jeremy Mercer's daughter. Jeremy was a very good friend of his ever since they went to the Starfleet Academy a really long time ago. But still, her chocolate brown eyes hypnotized him every single time he looked into them and he couldn't get himself to put their relationship to an end. Their relationship, that was still a secret after about five months.

As they got closer to the bar - which was full with Starfleet cadets and officers -, he let his hand slid from her back to his side. The sight of the two of them together wasn't new for a lot of people because of Captain Mercer, but they still didn't want to push their luck. It had worked so far. Christopher got themselves a table, while Denise went to get something to drink.

"Need some help?" a guy asked her as he leaned against the bar. He was checking her out as she let out an irritated groan and rolled her eyes. He fixed his eyes on the back of her black skirt.

"No, thanks. And don't stare at my ass, please," she added flatly, signaling to the bartender that she wanted two beers.

The guy gave her a questioning look. "Than why are you wearing such a short skirt? I swear that's a crime," he said, his voice making it obvious that he was drunk.

"Cadet," came Christopher's firm voice from behind the guy.

He gulped and turned around. "Sir," he said quietly.

"Is there a problem?" he went on. Denise couldn't help but smile a little as she watched the poor guy's shocked expression.

"No, sir," he replied.

"He just doesn't understand the word 'no', sir, but I can handle it," she told him, flashing a reassuring smile at him.

His eyes were now locked onto hers. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, sir," she said with a nod.

"I'm sorry," the guy told her before he grabbed his drink. "Excuse me," he added and walked away.

Denise started to laugh, finally breaking eye contact with him. The bartender gave them the beers and they made their ways back to the table. "So you can handle it, huh?" he asked with an amused smile as he watched her playing with the bottle.

"Thanks," she replied with a sigh. "It was faster that way," she added, admitting that maybe she couldn't have handled it after all. "What is it?" she asked sweetly with a warm smile, because he seemed to be lost in his thoughts.

All he wanted at the moment was to reach over to her side and take her hand. And, of course, he wanted to kiss her, but that was something he really couldn't do. They had agreed to keep their relationship behind closed doors and in order to keep that promise, they had come up with several rules. Actually they had already cheated that day: the quick kiss in the park and the way he put his hand behind her back on the way to the bar was against the rules. He couldn't risk everything by holding her hand. Not when he was supposed to meet her father in half an hour.

Letting out a sigh and slowly shaking his head, he flashed a faint smile at her. "Nothing, I'm just thinking about a way to cancel this meeting with your father," he replied.

"Oh my God, that would be awesome," she admitted dreamily, instinctively reaching for his hand but stopping in the very last moment and grabbing the bottle instead.

To avoid the personal topics, they debated about the only person who always seemed to be a good choice in these situations: James T. Kirk. Christopher believed in him - that's why he had talked him into joining Starfleet. But there were times when Jim's behavior made it almost impossible for him to believe he will ever become a captain. That day was exactly like that.

"Kirk still thinks he can become an officer in three years," he stated in a disapproving tone after a while.

Denise thought for a second. "Three years to become an officer? Hmm… I think I heard about someone who became a captain in four," she said with a playful smirk. "Oh, wait, it was you, right?" she asked in fake disbelief.

"That's not the same, Denise. He's talented, I admit it, but he's way too arrogant-"

"Chris, that's exactly the same thing," she interrupted him, her voice still kind and warm. "I'm pretty sure you were almost the same at his age. I mean, there had to be a reason why you became a captain in such a short amount of time."

She was right, he had been the same. Still… "But I wasn't _that_ arrogant," he replied.

"Yeah, right. But he really wants it. I'm a graduate, but I haven't heard about anyone who took the Kobayashi Maru test twice. And even though Jim failed both times, I heard he wants to try it again. If he fails again, he will still have his last year to try."

"You're right, he'll fail and he'll try again. And again and again and again. He's stubborn and that's why he won't realize the real purpose of the test."

Denise shrugged. "You were the one who recruited him," she stated simply, taking a sip of her beer, almost spitting it out when she noticed her father. "Shit," she said quietly, ready to stand up and leave.

"Don't," was all he said, making her ease up a bit. She gave him a questioning look, her gaze shifting between Chris and her father. "You only came here to say 'hello' to him, didn't you?" he asked, earning a smile from her that almost made him break the rules.

The captain reached their table and looked surprised by his daughter's presence. But he didn't say anything, only sat down on an empty chair. "Jeremy," Chris greeted him with a small smile. When they weren't at Starfleet, they simply left the formalities.

"Christopher," he replied shortly, turning his attention to Denise. The captain excused himself and left to bring him a beer, smiling reassuringly at the woman. "What are you doing here, Denise?" he asked kindly, happy to see his daughter again after a few days.

"I met Captain Pike this afternoon at the Academy and he told me something about meeting you here, so I thought I'll jump in and say hello," she lied happily.

He nodded with a warm smile. "And how are you? How's the Academy?"

"I'm fine and things at the Academy are great," she replied shortly, finishing her beer and standing up.

"You have to go?" he asked.

"Yeah, party with my friends," she said quickly, automatically coming up with a lie.

Jeremy laughed then gave her a serious look. "Tomorrow. Dinner," he stated.

"I know, dad," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"Have fun."

"Thanks, bye!" she said, walking away. A few steps later she got close to Chris and, for some strange reason, she trapped in her own leg, ending up in Christopher's arms. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said quickly, forcing back a smile.

Chris shook his head as he helped her standing on her own feet. "Nice move," he said quietly.

"Nice catch. Call me when it's over," she whispered, taking a step back. "Again, I'm sorry sir," she said a bit louder, looking over at her father with a nervous smile.

"Don't worry about it, cadet," he replied. She left the bar and Chris occupied his previous place.

Jeremy took a sip of his beer. "She can be such a klutz sometimes," he remarked with a small smile, tapping his fingers on the glass.

He didn't say anything, only nodded. There was only one thing he could think about: how long could they play that game? She deserved a normal relationship; a boyfriend she could go out with, someone from her own age group. And with him being on such good terms with her father, it was just more difficult. Right then, he made a decision: he will end this relationship before things get out of control.

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**Author's note:** I should be studying for my finals and I should be writing the next chapters for my fanfictions, but I couldn't help myself. I have ideas for another chapters - or one shots - but I don't know.

**Author's note 2:** I changed one thing. Denise is not Admiral Archer's daughter.


	2. You’re my guilty pleasure

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**You're my guilty pleasure**

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_It was another sunny January Sunday in San Francisco, so the weather was perfect for a little barbecue party before the NFL game. Every Sunday a small group gathered to watch __it and the location always changed. This time, the host was the Mercer family. Usually it wasn't a problem for him because Jeremy Mercer had been his best friend since the academy, but lately he had noticed something, and he could only hope he was wrong. And he wished she wouldn't be there that day - she, Denise Mercer. _

_But, of course, he had no such luck. She was there as always, helping her mother with the food in the kitchen, while her father entertained the guests in the garden. Every once in a while Denise showed up to help her father and joined the conversation about the upcoming game, before disappearing in the house again. Once Jeremy started to talk about how proud he was of her: it was her last year at the academy and she studied astral anthropology to become a forensic anthropologist at Starfleet. Of course, he found her enthusiasm about skeletons a bit weird, but that was her dream so he didn't say anything. _

_Then the food was ready and Christopher found himself sitting at the table with Denise opposite of him. Soon, his__ suspicion seemed to be proved. The way she talked to him, how she smiled, laughed, looked at him, or the way her foot_ '_accidentally_' _bumped into his under the table - she was flirting with him. He tried to act like he had no idea what she was doing, but every single time it became harder not to react. The others didn't seem to notice it and he was honestly grateful for that._

"_I'll be back in a minute_," _Martha announced with a smile when the phone in the house went off and she stood up. Everyone watched her through the huge glass door: at first, she listened with a neutral expression then a huge smile spread across her face. She literally ran back to the others._ "_My niece is in labor!_" _she yelled happily, looking at her husband._ "_We have to go to the hospital. Now_," _she added with a serious expression and rushed back to the house without a word. _

_Jeremy stood up as well, giving an apologizing look to their guests. _"_I think the party is over for today_,"_ he said. Everyone nodded but they were already chatting about the good news and old memories. _"_Denise, would you-_"

"_Don't worry, dad, I'll take care of everything_," _she interrupted him with a smile._ "_I'll let them out and clean up the mess._" _Jeremy quickly hugged her and said thanks then rushed after his wife. _

_A good half an hour had passed before the guests finally decided to go home so they would catch the beginning of the game. The young Mercer girl apologized for the changes in the original plan like it was her fault, and started to clean up the mess in the kitchen after they had left. Christopher stood in the kitchen's door, watching Denise as she tried to put a bowl on an upper shelf._ "_Need some help?_" _he asked kindly with a smile, taking a step closer._

"_Jesus!_" _she_ _said with a small squeak as she quickly turned around. _"_I thought everyone has left_," _she added in a bit calmer tone._

_Slowly shaking his head, he walked over to her and put the bowl on the shelf._ "_Unlike the others I think it would be pretty rude to leave you here alone to take care of,_" _he started, and looked around in the messy kitchen,_ "_this._"

"_Oh, it's fine,_" _she replied with a shrug, smiling reassuringly at him. He could tell she wanted him to leave and actually he perfectly understood her. She had been flirting with him for a while now, trying to get his attention but he never responded to these attempts. And now, they were standing in the kitchen, alone, and neither of them broke eye contact. He should have talked to her about this; tell her that she has to stop but he couldn't do it. They stood like that for a few minutes without moving even an inch. _

_And then everything happened so quickly, he didn't even have time to process it. She slid her arms around his neck, __gently pulled his head down a bit, and the next thing he felt was how her warm lips crushed onto his. The kiss was slow and soft, like she was hesitating whether he would welcome it or not. But he did. He hated to admit it, but he loved her closeness and all he wanted was to feel her fragile body against his. Putting his hands on her back, he pulled her closer, deepening the kiss by every second. _

_It wasn't right. His brain tried to signal him to stop, but his instincts took control over his body. The next thing he knew she was backing to the other side of the kitchen. He held her tightly as she wrapped her legs around his waist so he could lift her up onto the counter._ "_You don't want to do it right here and right now, do you?_" he _asked when he pulled away for a second to breathe. _

"_Why not?_" _she replied with a wicked smile on her lips, slowly kissing his neck._

_Sure, why not? The way she was kissing his neck, how she run her hand through his hair, how her fingertips could stimulate his body with only one touch... He wanted her, right there, right then. But her parents, his best friends could be back anytime. What would they say if they caught them? He was acting like those men in midlife crisis who buy a sports car and start to date women in their twenties just because they realized they are getting old. He didn't feel like listening to long lectures about this._ "_We have to stop,_" _he stated as he took a step back and ran a hand through his hair. _

_She gave him a confused look._ "_Why? I thought you wanted it, too,_" _she said, replaying the events that had happened a few minutes before to see if she had misunderstood him._

"_Believe me, I want it. I really do, but we can't do this,_" _he started seriously, keeping an eye on her. She was still sitting on the counter with the same confused expression._ "_Jeremy is my best friend and I just can't sleep with his daughter,_" _he explained in a short sentence. There were other reasons as well like he was a lot older than her, she was a cadet at the academy, in a few months he was supposed to go on a five years mission with the brand new USS Enterprise, and so on._

"_You can't or you don't want to?_" _she demanded as she slid off the counter. _

_Instinctively, he took a step back and let out an irritated sigh. _"_Denise…_" _he started but didn't finish the sentence. It was a huge mistake because now he couldn't control himself the way he had done before. _

"_I'm serious. Because if you don't want it, tell me. I'm a big girl, I can handle it,_" _she continued quietly._

"_Look, I want you, but it wouldn't be right._" _That was all he could say. _

_After a short pause, Denise spoke up, her voice full with hope. _"_And if we didn't tell it anyone?_" _she asked. He looked at her, thinking about the idea. A secret affair? Would it be worth it?_

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"-so let him sleep." The voice was deep and definitely belonged to a male.

"Alright, thanks." The answer was really quiet but it probably came from a female. The voice was familiar but he didn't know who it belonged to.

He was still very sleepy and had an awful headache. Where he was, what had happened exactly; he had no idea. He couldn't even get himself to open his eyes or move because he was too tired. Someone left the room - according to the conversation it must have been the male - and the other one stepped to the left side of the bed. Then he heard a scratching sound as the person pulled a chair closer and sat down.

She took his hand.

The person was definitely a female because her hand was so small and soft. Lacing her fingers with his, she rested her other hand on the left side of his face. Her touch felt more than familiar. His brain instantly recognized it and sent a well-known sensation through his body. "What are you doing here?" he asked quietly, slowly opening his eyes.

"First of all, hi," she replied with a warm smile. "I just wanted to know if you were alright."

"It's up to what you call alright," he replied dryly.

Her smile faded and she pulled away her hand after sliding it down along his neck. "Do you want me to call the doctor?" she asked seriously.

"No," he replied quickly. Then he stopped, looking at her with an unreadable expression. "Are you still angry at me?" he asked, talking about the day he had ended their relationship. She shook her head but the look in her eyes told him something else. She wasn't angry - she was sad. She possibly missed him, just like he missed her. Their relationship had been something… he didn't even know how to describe it. She was his guilty pleasure, someone he should have stayed away from. But they had had fun and that had been all that mattered back then.

Denise took a deep breath. "That was the worst night of my life but… I understood and accepted your reasons. I'm not saying I was - or I am - happy about that but I had no choice but to accept it."

That night, after they had met her father in the bar, she met him in his apartment. She was happy until she saw the look on his face. Then her smile disappeared and she stayed in the living room's door, crossing her arms defensively over her chest. He told her everything, all the reasons why he wanted to end the relationship. It was already hard to fight himself not to change his mind and when he saw how much he hurt her, it became even more difficult. She didn't shout, she didn't cry. She only wanted to know if that really was what he wanted. And he lied, so she said goodbye and left. They barely talked after that.

"I'm glad to hear you're okay," he said with a small smile. "Ehm… I really don't want to throw you out or anything but I'm really tired and I was dreaming about _that_ Sunday when you came in," he went on, a mischievous smile almost appearing on his lips. In the last few months he had tried not to think about her that way but now, that she was sitting beside his bed, he wanted to see the rest of the dream.

Her eyes widened a bit. "You mean when we…"

"Yeah," Christopher replied quickly. "And I woke up when you came up with the idea of keeping it a secret," he added as an explanation.

"Ouch. Right before the fun part, huh?" she asked with a quiet laugh, the same wicked smile from that day slowly growing on her lips.

"You're telling me? I can only hope when I fall asleep again, my brain doesn't skip the kitchen part to get to the-"

"Oh, please, enough," she interrupted him. "I was there. I still can't stay on the first floor of the house without thinking about what happened there," she admitted and stood up. "I'll come back in a few days, okay?" she asked and he nodded. After slightly squeezing his hand for the last time, she turned around and left the room.

He smiled to himself, wondering why he was so happy about her short visit. In no time, he drifted off to sleep, continuing the dream where he left it off last time.

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**Author's note:** Thanks for the reviews! Seriously. I'm happy to see there are other people who like Pike. (He's not as cool as Scotty but still…) So after I saw a few of you put this story on their alert list - even though it was supposed to be a one-shot - I wrote another chapter. That's what you get if you study too much. Now that I mention it, I'm off to study and sleep. Exam on Thursday XD

I'll post another chapters later, I think. So, what do you think?

_Sweet Executioner_


	3. Distress Call

**Warning:** A little fluffy chapter.

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**Distress Call**

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"_Mercer, USS Farragut," the officer announced and said the next name without a pause. _

_She followed the other cadets, searching for the shuttle she was supposed to get on. The officer in front of the entrance asked her name, wrote something into the PADD in his hand, then shook his head. "You're not clarified for duty on this ship," he stated. _

"_Excuse me?" she asked in disbelief. "They've just told me I was assigned to the USS Farragut, sir," she told him._

"_The admirals and captains of the Fleet agreed that scientists, like anthropologists for example," he explained, looking her in the eye with an emotionless expression on his face, "aren't needed during this mission."_

"_But when did they-"_

"_A couple of minutes ago," he interrupted her with the answer. "Next."_

"_God dammit!" _

_Denise was angry. Furious. She wanted know what was going on, but since her father was currently off-planet, she had no choice but to find Christopher. He was assigned as the captain of the USS Enterprise, so even if she didn't exactly like the idea of talking to him, that was the best way to find out what she wanted. Ever since he had broken up with her about a month before, she had always tried to avoid him. _

_It was hard, because after the first week, her mother often came up with the same sentence: '_Jeremy, why don't you invite Christopher over for dinner?_' Then she always added something else, too, like '_he's working too much these days_', '_he seems to be stressed_', or '_sad_', or '_depressed_' or something like that. Then, about a week before, she had talked to Denise, and questioned her about him. She had found it out. _

_Luckily she had understood why it was so important to them to keep it a secret, especially in front of her father. _

_Denise soon found who she was looking for. He stood there, already wearing his uniform; the yellow shirt with black pants and boots. As soon as the officer he was talking to disappeared, she took a deep breath and walked over to him. "What do you know about this?" she asked angrily. _

_He didn't understand it at first. Actually his brain didn't even work properly from the moment he saw her in the red Academy uniform. It reminded him on why he had broken up with her in the first place, and this thought quickly snapped him back to reality. "Denise, what are you talking about? The distress call?" he asked calmly. _

"_You know well enough what am I talking about, Chris."_

"_Oh, that you can't go," he said, finally understanding her problem. She seemed to be incredibly determined to get on one of the ships, but there was something she didn't know about. "Listen, there won't be skeletons you could examine, so you are not needed at all," he tried to explain it calmly, leaving out little pieces of information on purpose. Oh, how much he wanted to be on the Enterprise... Even if it was Denise from all people, he still wished he had already been there. Lying her was one the hardest things for him. _

_But she wasn't stupid. After dating him for about five months, she could easily figure out when he wasn't telling the truth, or when he simply didn't tell her something. The little pieces of the puzzle suddenly clicked into place, and she knew what was going on. "No way," she said slowly. "You were the one who suggested them to leave us here!"_

"_Denise," he said, trying to stop her. _

"_I should've known," she went on. "That was your fucking idea! Honestly, are you enjoying it?"_

"_Calm down and listen to me, please."_

"_No, I don't want to hear it!" she said loudly. _

_After making sure no one was watching them, Christopher put his hands on her shoulders, firmly grabbing them to make her look up at him. "I don't care about whether or not you want to hear it," he said in a low voice once she was listening. "We got a distress call, and we have no idea what kind of problem they have. Until it's not absolutely necessary for you to be there, I'd rather like you to be somewhere safe," he explained._

"_I can look out for myself. There's no need for you to patronize me."_

"_I'm not patronizing you," he said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I'm defending you. There's a huge difference between the two."_

"_Says the one who broke my heart by defending me," she replied bitterly. _

"_That's not fair, Denise. You know I only did it to-"_

"_Don't you dare finish this sentence!" she interrupted him._

"_Look, I have to go now, but if I die, I want you to remember: _I told you it's gonna be dangerous,_" he stated before turning around and leaving her there. The idea of dying didn't help him relax. It was an emergency, they were about to go and help Vulcan, so it wasn't the best time for thinking about never seeing her again. Because that was exactly what he was thinking about. _

_Denise let out an irritated sigh as she looked around then hurried after him. "Wait," she said, gently grabbing his arm. "Be safe, okay? Seriously, just come back," she said and finished almost inaudibly, "to me."_

"_I promise I will," he said with a reassuring smile._

* * *

Christopher tried to forget her after the break-up. He tried to burry himself into his paperwork, but it didn't work. She was always acting coldly when they met, but he just couldn't care about it either. His feelings for her were way stronger than he thought. Then, right before they left Earth after receiving a distress call from Vulcan, she was there. Only for a few minutes, but he could see he Denise he'd fallen in love with, the one who still cared about him and who still loved him.

He was sure she wouldn't visit him again. This was sad, really, because his migraine had disappeared after their little chat. But, for his biggest surprise, he was wrong. Denise was there, standing at the door of his room with a small, but genuine smile playing on her lips. "I thought you won't come back," he said.

"I said 'I'll come back in a few days'. It's only been six days," she told him, walking over to the leg of the bed. "Are you ready?"

"Ready for what?" he asked.

Denise laughed quietly as she glanced at her watch. "I'll accompany you for this little ceremony, _admiral_. I thought you knew."

"No, I didn't know," he replied quietly, amused by her good mood. The last time she'd acted like this had been back when they were still together. Oh, yes: he still loved her. He really did.

"Well, now you know," she stated as she looked out to the hallway. "Would you like some coffee before we go?"she suddenly asked, turning back to look at him.

"No, you don't have to…"

"Actually I could use some caffeine myself," Denise interrupted him quickly.

"Fine. A little milk and-"

"I know, no sugar. I made your coffee for a while, remember?" she asked with a small laugh. "I'll be right back."

He watched her walking out of the room. Then she stopped, and he instantly recognized the man she was talking to: Dr. Dylan Windell, the doctor who had been treating him ever since McCoy had taken out that ugly slug from his brain, and the same man who had been dating Denise for months in the past. The little green-eyed monster was slowly coming to life, crawling up to his brain to poison his mind with jealousy.

She smiled at him with the same sweet and charming smile he had seen so many times before. The woman he loved was now flirting with her ex-boyfriend - that was depressing. But were they together? He wasn't sure.

Denise, right after touching his upper arm, turned around and left to get some coffee. The doctor was watching her for a while, then he shook his head and entered the room. "Good morning," he said with a friendly smile. "How are you, Admiral?"

"No migraine this morning," he replied.

"Great. Though, I think I will give you some painkillers in case you will have another migraine during the ceremony," the young doctor told him, while writing something into the PADD in his hand.

Christopher only shrugged. "You are the doctor."

"That is true," he laughed. "She is a really nice girl."

"Who?" the admiral asked, even though he'd already known the answer.

"Denise. You are lucky to have her around," the man explained as his smile grew bigger. "I mean you are her father's friend still, she offered to help you once you get out of here."

Slightly raising an eyebrow, he asked, "Really?"

"Oh, she hasn't told you yet?" Windell nervously ran a hand through his short brown hair as he looked at the other man.

"No, it seems like she forgot."

"Dammit," he cursed. "She will kill me for telling you."

"Don't worry; I'll act like I didn't know."

The doctor gave him a thankful smile. "Thank you."

He didn't say much after that. After a couple of minutes he left, and a bit later Denise returned. Christopher didn't what to say, how to act around her anymore. If she was dating Dylan again, he had no chance anymore. Everyone, even he had thought back then that they were perfect together. Like Barbie and Ken. "Can I ask you something?"

Denise gave him a questioning look, but nodded. "Sure."

"Am I right if I think that you and Dr. Windell got together again?"

"What makes you think that?"

"I saw the way you talked to him. And he mentioned you," he added before going on. "It was quite obvious. I remember how he'd acted around you, and how _you_ acted around _him_."

She took a deep breath as she sat on the empty chair beside his bed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It was me who broke up with you, so I have no right to..." He didn't know how to finish this sentence. Should he really tell her how he felt? No. At least he thought it wasn't the best thing to do.

Denise didn't let him get away with that. Her eyes widened, and he noticed something he hadn't seen for a while: they were full with emotions. "To be upset? Jealous? What?" she demanded angrily.

"It doesn't matter," he replied.

"It _does _matter! Dylan is a really sweet and funny guy, but he's not you!" she almost shouted, breathing heavily and probably fighting back her tears.

On the inside, he was grinning, happy to hear the last part of the sentence. But he knew it wasn't right. There was a reason why he had broken up with her, and even if she had graduated since then, her father was still his best friend. "Oh, God, don't tell me you still love me," he said, right when he had enough strength to form these words. It was incredibly hard.

She was shocked. "Seriously, what did you expect? That I'll immediately forget my feelings for you and go on with my life like nothing had happened?"

"You want me to be logical or honest?" he asked quietly, hoping this will calm her down a little bit.

Denise was massaging her temple, trying to get rid of the headache. "There's no logic in love so if you have ever loved me, just be honest," she replied quietly.

"If I have ever loved you?" he asked incredulously. "For Christ's sake, Denise, I loved you enough to risk everything, my friendship with your father and my position at the Fleet just to be with you!" the usually calm admiral shouted. She was close to start crying, and he wanted to take back his words, but it was impossible. And after all he had said, he couldn't even hug her. Nothing - all he could do was sitting there and watching her.

"Then why did you change your mind, only a few months before my graduation?" she sipped.

"You said it yourself: there's no logic in love."

Slowly shaking her head, Denise stood up. "Kirk and others will be here in a few minutes," she stated, and left without saying anything else.

'_Congratulations, admiral, you screwed up everything in less than ten minutes_,' he thought bitterly.

* * *

**Author's note:** Hello, guys. I felt like writing this and... Well... I hope you liked it.

_Sweet Executioner_


	4. Busted

**Busted**

* * *

'I was devastated after you broke up with me. That's why I tried to avoid you as long as I could.'

Denise was sitting on the edge of Christopher's bed, staring blankly at her hands. They had released him from the hospital two days before, and now he wanted to hear what had happened to her after the USS Enterprise left the planet. She wasn't happy about the idea at first, but didn't resist in the end, and went way back before the Nero incident. The admiral was listening to her every word, watching her lips moving as she was talking.

'All the days and evenings and nights we spent together,' she started and trailed off immediately, looking for the right description of the situation. 'You know, it was hard to forget them. I loved you, I still do, but for a while I was blaming myself for the break-up.' Again, she stopped, sipping with a faint smile on her lips. 'I was stupid, believing in finding a way to get you back.'

Finally Christopher was able to tear away his gaze from her, looking out of the window instead. There were so many things he wanted to tell her and another thousand that he wanted to do, but he just couldn't get himself to open his mouth.

'And then,' Denise went on, her voice trembling, 'I found out you had made sure I stayed on Earth during the so-called rescue mission of Vulcan. I was left behind, alone, knowing you were out there and in danger. I wasn't angry at you anymore. How the hell could I have been? I mean, you told me something like "if I die, I want you to know" before you left. I simply couldn't believe it, I couldn't process it properly, since I didn't even want to think about losing you in the first place,' she finished with a sigh.

'What about Dylan?' he asked after a short pause and, when Denise gave him a questioning look, he went on. 'When did you two get back together?'

'He asked me out about two or three weeks after we had broken up,' she replied calmly, running a hand through her hair. 'I thought it can help me forget you. Going out with someone else, maybe falling in love with him again... At the beginning I believed I was wrong, but it turned out quite nicely.'

Silence fell on the room, and its awkwardness made Christopher shiver. Ever since she had visited him in the hospital for the first time, he had been thinking about the months they had spent together, and the fact he missed her more than anything else in the world. And now there she was, sitting so close to him.

Maybe there was a way to take back all the words, all the lies he had told her, but he couldn't think of any at the moment. She was dating someone else and was trying hard to forget him. It would have been too selfish from him to remind her of her old feelings, to ask her to dig out all of them out again, so they could have a fresh start.

Denise took a deep breath as she stood up and was now pacing back and forth in the room. 'I think my mother knows everything. About us, I mean,' she said, suddenly stopping and turning towards him. 'When the distress call came, Dad was in the Laurentian system, so we were alone here. She... I don't know, she made a couple of suspicious comments.'

'I know,' Christopher replied. When the woman gave him an angry look, he defensively raised his hands. 'She visited me a day after you. We had quite an interesting conversation about it.'

* * *

_Jeremy had to go back to the academy, but Martha wanted to stay for another few minutes. Her expression didn't give away her intentions, so the moment she closed the door and asked the question she was eager to hear the answer for, Christopher found himself taken aback. _

'_What did you screw up this time?' she asked seriously, standing at the leg of the bed with her arms crossed in front of her chest. _

'_Excuse me?' the admiral asked slowly. _

_Shaking her head, Martha started to talk. 'Since you're my husband's best friend, I met a couple of your girlfriends in the past, and I really would like to know what did you do this time? After the Enterprise came back, and Dr. McCoy was performing a surgery on you, Denise was... I don't even know what word I could use, because she was extremely worried about you. She was going on and on about how rude she had been the last time you'd talked.'_

_The admiral was still shocked, wondering whether he was hallucinating. 'How do you know about us?' he asked after he had realized it was happening for real. His best friend's wife had just found out he had been dating their daughter. 'She told you?'_

'_Oh, Christopher,' Martha started with a nonchalant wave of her hand, 'she's my daughter; I know when she's in love. And like I said, I know you. Plus I saw the look in your eyes whenever you looked at her. I know you loved her, too,' she added with a smile._

'_I still do,' Christopher corrected her. _

'_Then why is she dating Dylan again?' Surprisingly, she didn't look angry, only a bit upset because of the fact her daughter was dating that doctor. 'I know he's around her age, they were together before, he's a nice guy, a doctor and many other things, but I don't think she loves him.'_

_Christopher let out a heavy sigh and shrugged. 'It's complicated,' was all he said in response._

'_Of course it is, but you should try, because she's still in love with you. Trust me.'_

'_Does Jeremy know all this?'_

'_No,' she replied immediately with a smile. 'Not until you two tell him yourselves.' And with that, she fled out of the room._

* * *

'You were right,' said Denise, after he had finished the story. 'It's complicated. That's why it doesn't matter anymore how we feel. You don't want to risk anything, so you chose not to be with me, and I accept that.'

Christopher opened his mouth to object, but quickly closed it. He had left out the part about him still loving her for a good reason, there was no way he would destroy everything with his own needs. She was happy, or at least she was trying to be: a normal life, a normal boyfriend and, of course, no more hiding. She deserved it.

'Anyway,' Denise spoke up in a happier tone with a wide smile on her lips. 'How's physiotherapy going? Dylan told me to ask you if I'm interested.'

'It's good,' he replied, happily changing the topic to something less personal. 'According to my physiotherapist I'll be perfectly healthy in about a week.'

Denise's eyes widened in surprise. 'Wow, that's fast. But I'm glad to hear that. You know what? Once you're fine, I'll take you out and we'll celebrate it.' As soon as she had finished the sentence, the young woman realized what she had just said. It sounded like a date. 'I mean, I'll organize a little party somewhere,' she quickly corrected herself.

'Yeah, I thought you wanted to say something like that,' he told her quietly. 'It wouldn't be wise to go anywhere together and alone.'

'Well, I'm here with you and we're alone,' she informed him.

'And it's already awkward enough, Denise.' The woman raised an eyebrow as she looked at him. 'Oh, come on. Don't act like you haven't noticed,' he said angrily. 'We can't even talk to each other anymore. You're still hurt, and I'm still struggling to stay away from you, but we still try to act like that was fine.'

Denise was taken aback from the admiral's sudden outburst, since it came out of nowhere. But, at the same time, she knew he was right. She was still hurt, and even if she was dating Dylan, all she wanted was Christopher. Now that he was talking honestly, Denise decided to do the same.

'You know what? Fine, let's be honest from now on. I love you; I've already told you that like half an hour ago. I tried to get over you, but I couldn't. And for your information, I'm only seeing Dylan because I'm stupid enough to believe it's enough to forget my feelings for you. And do you know what is it called that we are doing right now? Torture and masochism.'

'I think it would be the best if you just left.'

'What?'

It was hard. He was fighting himself, and didn't want to say this, but he had no other choice. 'I don't want you to be here,' he said. 'I love you, and I really want you back, but it's not enough. We can't be together, it's... absurd.'

'Absurd, my ass. This is bullshit, you're simply afraid of what others would say. Why the do you have to be so fucking stubborn?' she shouted hysterically. 'If you change your mind, I'll give Dylan a call and break up with him right away. Just remember that, okay? Because I want you, and I really need you.' She didn't wait for his answer, simply grabbed her handbag and left the house without saying anything else.

Christopher knew she was right, and he also knew he was stubborn and afraid. Maybe, if they told Jeremy the truth so they wouldn't have to hide anymore, he would get back together with her. Yes, that was the only way he was willing to let his emotions win over his rationality again.

* * *

_It was an average Wednesday evening. Christopher was at home, writing reports because someone had forgot to tell him that the deadline had been changed, so he only had one night to finish all of them. Well, normally it wouldn't have been a problem and it would have been an average evening, but this time Denise was there with him. She was talking on her phone in the living room while he was trying to concentrate on the report. It was hard, because he heard the girl's voice from outside and it filled his ears like music._

_A few minutes later the door slowly opened and Denise waltzed in, quickly occupying the small empty area on the desk. She sat there with crossed legs, wearing a short skirt with stilettos - if something, then this definitely distracted him from his job for good. Looking up, he met her dark blue eyes. 'I have to go,' she said simply._

'_You do?' he asked, moving his chair so he was sitting in front of her. Actually she told him she would stay until next morning and now she was telling him she had to go. He wasn't happy about it. Oh no, he was far from that. In the last three weeks he became a bit possessive and selfish when it came to Denise. For some reason - good reason - he wanted her to be by his side, to be close to him. _

'_Lisa called me and she's currently panicking about the exam. She called a couple of guys from the class and we're going to study at her place tonight.'_

'_Shouldn't you... I don't know... sleep and relax?'_

'_We'll write the exam tomorrow afternoon. I'll sleep in the morning. And, by the way, I wouldn't sleep much if I stayed here, either,' she pointed out with a devilish smirk on her lips._

'_True,' he nodded in agreement. 'But you would be relaxed.'_

'_You got me here,' she replied with a small chuckle as she relocated herself so she was now sitting in his lap. 'I still have an hour to get there. If you really want to, you can help me relax now,' she whispered into his ear, slowly kissing his jaw and neck. _

'_Well, if that's the case, I think I can give these reports a break,' he added with a smile, running his hands up on her back before gently grabbing her neck and pulling her back a little bit so he could kiss her. She didn't resist - she let him do whatever he wanted._

* * *

**A/N:** OMG, it's been like forever, since I last updated any of my fanfictions. Let alone writing in English, since I've been concentrating on my original, Hungarian stories. But anyway, I reread all of them, rewatched Star Trek XI, and finally decided to write another (quite short and lame) chapter.

If I get feedback from you, I might go on with it :)

_Sweet Executioner _


	5. All the Right Moves Made for You

**ALL THE RIGHT MOVES MADE FOR YOU**

* * *

Almost two weeks had passed since their last conversation but Denise couldn't get him out of her head. He was working again, teaching and helping out at the academy for a few months before deciding what to do next. Sometimes she saw him passing by, far enough not to notice her. It was a good thing because she didn't want to talk to him. Not then and not there that is.

Her parents wanted to celebrate his return that weekend, organizing a fancy dinner party which gave her the perfect opportunity to talk to him. First of all she broke up with Dylan once and for all, making sure he understood it really was over. Then she talked to her mother, asking her to tell Christopher she will give him a lift to the party. This way Denise could surprise him, giving him no opportunity to escape from the conversation.

On Saturday she woke up and went shopping and to a spa with her mother in the morning where Martha told her how proud she was of her for not giving up. It was weird but Denise was glad to hear that. Back in her apartment she put on a yellow cocktail dress and black high heels, finishing her makeup and hair before getting in the car.

'Everything's going to be fine,' she kept telling herself but the closer she got to his house the more unsure she became. 'What if he says no?' Luckily enough she didn't have more time for these thoughts because she reached his driveway. Taking a deep breath she looked into the mirror then got out of the car, slowly reaching the door by taking one step after another before she rang the bell.

Only half a minute later he opened the door, looking almost shocked by finding her there. 'What are you doing here, Denise?' he asked, leaning against the doorframe.

'Yeah, it's nice to see you, too, Chris,' she replied sarcastically. 'Can I come in?' For a moment Denise was afraid he would say no because he was hesitating for way too long, but then he stepped aside and she could walk into his living room. She didn't sit down, only rested her forearms on the back of the sofa. 'I always knew you looked good in uniforms, but this suit is really, really good,' she said with a smile.

'What do you want?' he asked coldly.

'Really?' Denise walked over to him, stopping a few steps away. 'After two weeks this is how you're talking to me? But, answering your question, I'm here because this is simply ridiculous. I mean, come on, why are you doing this? Oh, and FYI, I broke up with Dylan for good.'

He opened his mouth to ask her why but soon realized it would be a stupid question. Instead he turned around and left to pour a glass of bourbon for himself. 'You shouldn't have done that,' he said after long minutes of silence, his eyes not leaving hers. She could tell he was uneasy and she couldn't blame him for that.

Still, he was wrong. Denise let out a tired sigh as she ran a hand through her hair. 'I didn't love him, Christopher. He deserves someone who can give him the family he's dreaming about. Don't say that I made the wrong decision with this,' she said, stopping for a second. 'After the dinner party I'll tell dad about breaking up with Dylan and I'll also tell him what happened between the two of us.'

'No,' he said firmly, putting the glass on the nearest table. 'No, you won't.'

'Yes, I will. You know, I'm really tired of this. I'm sick of having these conversations over and over again and always hiding from everyone... God, even mom agrees with my plan.'

'Jeremy is going to kill _me_, Denise, not _you_.'

Her mouth fell open, but soon she was laughing wholeheartedly. 'Are you afraid?'

'Of course I'm afraid! He's my best friend and... It's still too complicated.'

Before he could say anything else she closed the gap between them and kissed him desperately, her arms tightly wrapped around his neck, but she pulled away eventually. 'Say it out loud,' she said quietly. 'Look in my eyes and tell me you don't want to give it a try.'

Christopher hesitated, just like he had done two weeks ago and even before that, ever since they broke up. He wasn't only afraid of her father, she knew that very well. There was something else behind this, something he never told her. After long seconds that seemed like an eternity, he took a deep breath, shook his head and opened his mouth. 'Denise,' he started but stopped again.

'Just say it,' she said.

'Don't do this to me.'

'I love you and I want to get back everything we had before. Please, just admit you feel the same way.'

He remained silent and she knew they were back where they had started. That afternoon when she kissed him, begged him to give the two of them a chance. This was beginning of their damned, twisted and slightly masochistic relationship which was bound to end this way. Whatever she wanted and whatever he wanted, and Denise saw that oh-so-clearly now, the odds were against them right from the start. It was a no-win scenario, just like the Kobayashi Maru. _Jim Kirk could cheat it, though_, she thought for a second, but soon realized it wouldn't work in real life.

This was the end.

Sometimes life is really strange. Denise wasn't sad; she didn't even feel like crying. If anything, she was angry. Not the shouting, breaking things kind of angry, because she was mainly angry with herself. After all, it was her fault. Nodding, she curled her lips into an understanding smile and took a few steps back. 'Alright, I'll call mom and tell her to pick you up as it was supposed to happen anyway. Have fun, okay? You deserve it.'

'Where are you going?' he finally asked after clearing his throat.

'I just need to clear my head, that's all. And maybe I'll have a drink with the others.'

* * *

_There were times when cadets and officers spent some quality time in a bar that was located fairly close to the Academy. On a Friday night, as well as the rest of her friends, Denise was there, trying to forget the week behind them and already making plans for the next two days. Little did they know that she already had a plan of her own which didn't involve any of them._

_Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Kyle jumped up from his chair. 'Oh, here's Professor Marsh and Captain Pike! It's such a nice evening, isn't it?' he shouted loudly, raising his beer with a huge grin plastered on his face. It was a miracle he didn't fell off his chair since his balance wasn't exactly reliable thanks to the amount of alcohol he already had in his system._

_'Please, forgive him. He is drunk,' Lilian turned to them with an apologetic look._

_Denise tried not to look at them; instead she massaged the bridge of her nose in embarrassment. She never understood why Kyle always had to drink so much. Then the worst possible scenario came when she heard Kyle speaking up again, 'Do you feel like joining us?' he asked._

_It wasn't unusual for officers to drink with the cadets after classes. The rest of them were over twenty, old enough to be treated as adults. For Denise's biggest misfortune the officers agreed and occupied the available seats. Everyone knew that she and Captain Pike often met outside the Academy, thanks to his friendship with her father - that's why no one was surprised when Pike spoke up right after Denise had ordered another two shots for herself. 'Rough day?' he asked with a small smirk._

_'Worse,' was all she said in response._

_Christopher laughed before taking a sip of his beer. It was hard not to stand up and sit next to her, to reach over the table and touch her. She knew. He had told her these things so many times before that she knew when he was thinking about this. 'Come on, tomorrow is Saturday, and the barbeque party will definitely cheer you up.'_

_'Barbeque party? That's gonna be tomorrow?'_

_'Yes,' he replied as he took a sip of his beer._

_'Fuck!'_

_He was laughing at her. 'You've planned something else?'_

_Of course she had other plans. She wanted to be with him, talking freely about whatever they felt like talking about. 'No,' she replied in the end. 'I mean... not exactly. I have to finish an essay, but I promised I'll go, so...'_

_'You need help?' he offered kindly._

_'No, I already have help, but thank you.'_

_'Just asking.'_

_'I know.'_

_'And if it's not confidential information, may I ask who will help you?'_

_'That would be me,' said the guy sitting next to her as he put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. He was Jason, one of her best friends and also the only guy who didn't take no as an answer. But she could handle him. Sadly that wasn't true when it came to Christopher, who was watching the guy suspiciously. 'Captain Pike, can I ask you something?'_

_'Of course, you can, cadet,' he replied as casually as he could._

_Jason drummed his long fingers on the table while the fingers of his other hand were gently stroking the skin on Denise's neck. She wanted to stop him because of Christopher but it would have been suspicious since she had never stopped him before. 'Isn't it... I don't know, a bit weird to talk to a cadet about things like barbeque parties at the weekend?' She turned to look at Jason, her eyes wide for a second._

_'Since I've known Denise for a couple of years now, it's not,' came the diplomatic answer and she was happy it was now over._

_But Jason went on; drunk enough to keep asking and sober enough to act naturally. 'And isn't it weird, in general, that you are on such good terms with her?'_

_Christopher had to kick Denise's leg under the table, because she was about to say something. They didn't know what had he known, so it would have been unnecessary to panic already. 'What are implying?' he asked coldly._

_'I,' he started, struggling to find the right words. 'What I'm trying to say is... that... never mind, sir.'_

_It was their lucky day, but one of those that kept reminding them of the craziness of this relationship. It wasn't normal, to be happy behind closed doors and constantly paranoid in public, searching for faces and sentences that gave away someone's suspicion._

* * *

**Author's note:** Yes, I know. I wrote the previous chapter like eighteen months ago. But I guess the next one is going to be the last chapter of the story and since the new movie is so close, that chapter will arrive soon as well. The only question is: will there be a happy end?

All the Right Moves and Made for You are two amazing songs from OneRepublic.

(If there are any typos, I'm sorry, but I barely have time to write anything lately.)


	6. Heartbeat

**HEARTBEAT**

* * *

It was almost two in the morning, most people in San Francisco were already sleeping, lost in their peaceful dreams, and right then and there, Christopher Pike wanted to believe it was nothing more but a nightmare. His hands were still shaking and he wasn't sure if he could answer a question properly at the moment. Every other second he looked over at Jeremy and Martha as they were pacing back and forth on the sidewalk, waiting for the cab to arrive and pick them up.

They had drank and in this state neither of them wanted to risk driving themselves and even Christopher came up with the very simple lie that he drank as well. He was perfectly sober but now his mind was somewhere else, his thoughts were racing so fast that even he couldn't keep up with them. It was confusing, shocking, terrifying, devastating, and he could have gone on with this list for long minutes without even stopping.

And then, finally, after minutes that had felt like an eternity, the cab arrived and all three of them climbed in without hesitation. Jeremy quickly told the driver where they were going and leaned back in his seat, resting his head against the window. After Christopher was able to tear his gaze from the rearview mirror, he looked out of the window, watching the almost empty streets passing by them.

When the cab stopped, Jeremy paid for the ride and got out of the car, rushing toward the entrance without waiting for his wife or his friend. But it was fine, because once they both stepped out of the cab and shut the door, Martha grabbed Christopher's hand and pulled him back, making him walk slower so they were further behind Jeremy. She looked over at him, her eyes red and wet from her tears.

She gulped and let out a long sigh. "I don't care about Jeremy right now," she started. "I mean I know that he's upset and worried - God, we all are -, but at the moment he can't even imagine how bad it is for you. He has no clue what's going on here."

"There's nothing going on, Martha."

"For God's sake, Christopher, stop denying it!" she snapped at him angrily. "At least now try and be honest to yourself. You love her, and whatever happened between the two of you before the party, whatever you said, wasn't true. It couldn't be true, Chris, because I can see that you're falling apart."

He shook his head as they entered the building and got closer to Jeremy who was, by then, waiting for the two of them. "I'm fine."

"Whatever happens, just stop keeping up this ridiculous act of yours; promise me that."

Christopher didn't have time to answer and was honestly grateful for that. They got into a lift and didn't stop until they reached the sixteenth floor where they were supposed to find her. Jason's parents and his little brother were already there, their faces buried into their hands as they sat in complete silence. Jeremy cleared his throat to get their attention. As he and Martha walked over to the other family, Christopher noticed drops of blood on the floor not far from him, quite a lot, to be honest.

He looked up and noticed the teenage boy standing next to him, staring at the same spot on the floor. "Denise was here after she insisted that she was perfectly fine and told the doctor to give her a few minutes with us," he explained without looking at him. "Then she started coughing with her hands over her chest and the next moment she was coughing up blood.

"Coughing up blood?" he asked worriedly and the boy nodded in response.

Before he could talk to Jeremy and Martha about this a doctor showed up to inform them. He heard every single word clearly. It turned out a couple of her ribs had broken in the accident and one eventually punctured her lung, but now she was stable and that was all that mattered. Christopher ran a hand through his hair as he loosened his tie with the other. She was alive, and she was fine.

Jeremy and Martha were allowed to go and see their daughter and, until they were gone, he decided to go and get himself a cup of coffee. This must had been how Denise felt when he was the one in this condition and now he understood everything. Something like this, knowing the other one was in a life or death situation, could finally open his eyes and make him admit that he loved her. He still did, and it didn't matter what Jeremy would say about this.

At that very moment Christopher hated himself for being so blind and stubborn, ignoring her emotions the whole time. She had been through this, even giving up her relationship with Dylan for him, but he told her no. Over and over again he pushed her away, right until she ended up in that damn car with that annoying little brat who almost got both of them killed.

By the time he finished his coffee, Christopher had already sent a message to Martha, telling her that he went home for now, but would be back once Jeremy's not there.

And this is what he did. He got in a cab, went home, tried to sleep, eventually ended up tossing and turning in bed without sleeping even a second, then woke up and left his apartment to go to the closest jewelry store. Martha had sent a message, saying Jeremy would be spending a few hours in his office, only going to see his daughter in the afternoon. Christopher was more than happy to hear that, sooner than he had expected.

She was still sleeping when he entered her room. Her face was pale, smaller cuts reminding him of the accident she'd had the night before, but other than that, she was the same woman he loved. Sitting down on the chair next to her bed, he took her hand in his and waited. It was strangely familiar, reminding him of the time she had been sitting by his bed, holding his hand the same way.

After a while he didn't even try to keep up with the time; he got lost in watching her sleeping peacefully but then he felt it. Ever so slightly but she moved her hand. "Denise?" he asked quietly as he stood up and leaned above her, his fingers brushing her hair. "Denise, please, just wake up and open your eyes."

"I remember this," she said hoarsely after she opened her eyes and looked at him. "Except it was me looking at you like this," she added.

Christopher laughed. "And it was also you pulling me out of one of the best dreams I've ever had."

Denise let out a humming sound as her eyes closed. "I didn't dream anything."

"If this is your only problem then we have nothing to worry about."

Her brown eyes were now looking at him expectantly, but since he had no idea what she wanted to hear, he stayed quiet and waited. "What happened to Jason?" she asked after a long period of silence.

"As far as I know he'll live." Denise nodded in response and closed her eyes again. Using this moment to act, Christopher reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring he had bought that morning, than he waited for her to look at him again. When she did, he rested a hand next to her head and kept the other out of her sight, trying to make sure he wasn't too obvious. "Denise, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry what I've been doing to you," he said. "You were right all along, I was simply afraid of what Jeremy and everyone else would say."

"Was?" she repeated, her eyebrows slightly furrowed at this.

"Yes, past tense. I love you and I don't want to lose you. I don't care what others will think about you being my girlfriend and, if you say yes," he started as he showed her the ring, "being my fiancée then wife." He watched as her mouth opened and closed, trying to figure out what to say. "You don't have to answer now, I just-"

Denise shook her head as she interrupted him. "You're an idiot if it has ever crossed your mind that I would say no. Because I love you, Chris, and I would love to spend the rest of my life with you."

"So your answer is?"

"Yes, you idiot," she said with a laugh, but quickly stopped when her broken ribs reminded her where she was. "Now, give me that ring, please," she added with a wide smile, holding out her hand for him.

Once the ring was where it belonged, he leaned down to kiss her. It had been so long, even if she had kissed him the night before. It was now crystal clear that it was always supposed to happen this way and there was nothing that would make him change his mind. Not even Jeremy.

Little did he know at the time that Jeremy saw everything from outside because he arrived a bit earlier than expected; but he didn't interrupt them, especially after his wife showed up by his side and explained him everything. It had taken him weeks, even two or three months, but eventually he accepted their relationship.

But Denise had been right: this relationship was damned from the very beginning.

* * *

**Author's note:** So, Star Trek Into Darkness... If you've seen it, you know what I mean.


End file.
